The Cleveland Guardians lose to the White Sox, 2-1, despite one of the best starts of Parker Messick's career.
Parker Messick’s All-Star and Rookie of the Year resume only got stronger on Tuesday evening during the Cleveland Guardians matchup with the Chicago White Sox.
Cleveland’s starter did his job and more, allowing just two earned runs in 7.2 innings of work. Messick also struck out 10 White Sox hitters in this start, setting a new career-high for the rookie pitcher.
The key to Messick’s outing was the elite, two-pitch, fastball-changeup combo, which continues to improve the more experience he gets.
Messick’s fastball velocity continues to increase throughout the year. He came into the start with a yearly fastball velocity of 93.8 mph, but that number sat at 95 mph on Tuesday, with the heater topping out at 97.6 mph.
Combine that with his devastating changeup, and Chicago had little to answer for Messick’s arsenal.
Messick found a groove early, and never really let it go.
"When I'm in the zone, and I'm in a rhythm like that, it's just one of those things you just pound on the zone, you feel like you're getting quick outs, you feel like you're kind of winning every a bat," Messick said postgame.
Jun 23, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA;ClevelandGuardianspitcher Parker Messick (77) delivers there ball during the first inning against the Chicago White Sox at Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn ImagesUnfortunately, when looking at Messick’s record, he will be credited with the loss in this start against the White Sox.
The problem was, well, the offense continues to scuffle and search for answers wth three of Cleveland’s best hitters still sidelined with injuries.
The Guardians only generated one run against the White Sox: a solo home run by Kahlil Watson, which was also the first of his big-league career.
Cleveland actually did have action on the basepaths throughout the night, with six hits and two walks as a team. The problem was that the Guardians just couldn’t find a way to get them to score. The team left seven runners on base and were 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position.
"We gotta trust all 13 like we are," Vogt said. "But, we're just not getting anything going right now. And it's tough."
For as well as Messick pitched, Cleveland still couldn’t find a way to win. The Guardians could seriously risk this becoming a trend if they can’t find some answers on offense.
Guardians Roundtable also offers a fan community and message board. We’d love to have you join us to talk all things Guardians. Click the “Join” button at the top of the page to join our community for free.
